James Learns The Waltz
by sineadkfoley
Summary: There's just one week until the yearly Waltz and Quick Step Fall fair but workmen, shared branch lines, failing signals, lights that won't change and a sleep walking driver get poor James and his friends in trouble. Can everything get straightened out before they perform the first ever Train Waltz at the fair?


**James Learns The Waltz**

**Chapter One**

**The Red Moon**

It was a lovely sunny day on Sodor but James was getting pouty, Bobby kept yawning, which made the stoker yawn, which in turn was making James yawn as he came into the main station at Tidmouth to meet Thomas' carriages,

"James, wake up! I don't want any mistakes today" Topham Hat boomed from the platform as Annie and Clarabelle were being coupled up to him,

"I'm not even tired sir, it's Bobby, he keeps yawning" James said

"Don't blame Bobby for you staying up all night scaring Percy with your ghost stories about the "Red Moon" Topham Hat said

"Why do I have to take Thomas' jobs today?" James asked

"Because Thomas had an accident yesterday, one of the work-men left some debris on the track; Thomas came off the line, he's being fitted with a new bumper today" Topham Hat said

"I did see a red moon the night before Thomas' accident" James said wide wide

"Oh give me stength, a red moon, if there even was such a thing had nothing to do with Thomas' accident James" Topham Hat said

At that moment Milly came in on the new train; Peggy,

"Hello Uncle, did you see that red moon?" Milly asked

"Not you as well" Topham Hat said before walking off

"Oh...I thought it looked rather cool" Milly said

"You look tired James" Peggy said

"I'm not tired...why does everyone keep saying that?" He said, his cheeks turning the same colour as his engine,

"Oh I'm sorry James, you were yawning" Peggy said

"I'm only yawning because my driver is yawning" James said, "Yawning is contagious, everyone knows that"

"Oh no!" Peggy pancked and wobbled,

"It's fine as long as the driver doesn't doze off as well Peggy" Milly said

"Milly' right Peggy, if I fall asleep Bobby can still steer me in the right direction but I won't got fast or slow, we couldn't start again after stopping though, not if I were asleep" James told Peggy

"Why are you tired Bobby?" Milly asked

"Morning James" Percy called as he came into the station, "You look tired today"

"Oh" James exclaimed before pulling out without half the passengers

"James! Come back here now!" Topham Hat called

It was a long morning for James, there were railworks all along his branch line. He had to go slow the first two stops before being let loose the next two, which excited him even if it did dismay the passengers and annoyed Annie and Clarabelle,

"Slow down James!" Annie called

"Humph!" James called back,

"Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow" Bobby said absent mindedly as he read the stops on a piece of paper,

"Hmph!" James called again before breaking and throwing everyone forward,

"Be careful James!" Clarabelle called

"There's a sign on the track!" He called

Bobby climbed down as passengers looked out the window, there was a sign on the track, it said; slow here on out and had two feet printed on it,

"Were those feet there yesterday?" Bobby asked

"Move the sign off the track so we can go on!" The stoker called

"Right, sorry" Bobby said with a shake of the head, moving the sign off the track

"What is wrong with you today?" The stoker asked

"I've been taking dance classes at night" Bobby said

James let out a loud cry of laughter,

"Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow" He giggled

With all his stops made, before James could be told what to do next he made a game of the instructions on Bobby' paper, leaving Bobby behind,

He was far too busy enjoying his new game to even hear the protesting coming from the thin controller, on duty at the harbour,

"It's the red moon, I'm telling you" Cranky laughed, "It's made James loopy"

"There's no such thing as a red moon" The thin controller said

"Is too, I saw it with my own eyes!" Cranky said

James jolted the stoker around, moving slow a way, stopping then starting and moving on slowly, then repeating this gimmick but moving fast this time,

"Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow" James sang

"James, I can't drive you just stop!" The stoker called

"Can't hear you Bobby!" James called

"Bobby' not here!" The stoker called

James screeched to a halt,

"Oops" James said, his cheeks turning the same colour as his engine, "Sorry"

When James got back to the harbour he found Cranky in an argument with the thin controller, and Milly over the red moon.

"Tell him! There was a red moon!" Cranky called

"I saw it!" James said,

"Turns red engines loopy!" Cranky said

"No it doesn't" Milly said

"What would you know about it?" Cranky asked

"The moon passes by Earth' shadow so the only light we see is the light from the moon' surface that has been reflected by Earth. It looks red, like a sunrise or sunset" Milly said

"It turns humans with fuzzy hair loopy, they howl at the moon, sleep walk and put their shoes in odd places...Bobby has fuzzy hair!" James said wide eyed

"Where did you hear about all this?" Milly asked

"Bobby' small TV" James said

Bobby giggled,

"That was a scary movie"

"It was a scary movie" James said, "Maybe Milly should drive me until you're safe"

"James, when did you watch that movie?" Milly asked

"Halloween...oh" James said with a laugh, "I scared Percy last night"

"Yes you did" Milly said

"I'll go find him now and tell him it wasn't true" James said

This time he waited for Bobby but they left the stoker behind and it wasn't long for James had run out of coal,

They were stranded.

Further up the line Emily was on her way to the scrap yard, having had to change lines because of work- men but unbeknown to Emily or her driver or the men in the signal box the lights were stuck on green so they never changed. Emily kept going, then the surprised signalman couldn't change the signal, or track, neither woulds budge and Emily kept on going,

"Oh no!" He cried

He ran out and tried to shout but he was drowned out by Emily' engine,

James' eyes widened as he heard Emily,

"Bobby, they're going too fast!" Cried James

He then screamed as Bobby jumped out and Emily came round the corner. Emily saw James and broke. Her driver also doing his best.

James shut his eyes, waiting for the impact but there was none. Emily had stopped just in time, she was in kissing distance to James.

"What're you doing here!?" Emily cried

"I'm out of coal. You shouldn't even be on this line Emily!" James scolded, "You could have had my paint off!"

"I'm sorry James, the lights were green and the signal didn't change or the track" Emily declaired

At that moment the fat controller arrived along with the signalman and Percy, who had the coal for James,

"What on Earth is going on around here?" Topham Hat called

"Sir, the work-men have done something to the lights, their stuck on green and I found this shoe wedged between the tracks at the turning so I couldn't switch lines, James has been stranded for an hour because he left the harbour without his stoker, who was there for the coal" The signalman said

"James, you have caused confusion and delay!" Topham Hat said, "Don't think I didn't hear about your little waltz, I know you left Bobby behind earlier too"

"I'm not to blame for the lights or the signal...hang on did you say you found a shoe...? Oh no! It's the red moon!" James cried

"Red moon?" Percy screeched

"Oh for goodness sake James, it's a coincidence! Now, Emily, back down to the siding, and wait for the signal to change, James, I want you to back down to the harbour again and pick up Thomas' passengers for their return journey and I want no more talk of this red moon" Topham Hat boomed

James was miserable for the rest of the day,

"What's the matter James?" Milly asked him as Bobby backed him into his shed that night

"The Fat Controller shouted at me because I left Bobby at the harbour, then I left the stoker and ran out of coal and then Emily nearly crashed into me because the signal wouldn't work because someone wedged a shoe on the line and he wouldn't believe my story about the red moon" James pouted

"A shoe...like in the film?" Milly asked

"Yeah" James said

"Film...you mean the story you told me last night was a movie?" Percy called before sighing with relief,

"Yes but why would anyone act out on the story? If either of us had any passengers people could have gotten really hurt" James said

"Hmm" Percy pondered

Before the end of the night Topham Hat came to see all the trains,

"James, I need you to take scrap to the smelters yard tomorrow, Gordon, the work men are now on your line so you're to go between James' track line and your own"

"Oh" Gorndon sighed

"What's wrong with my track line?" James said

"The lights aren't working yet so you're to wait for the signalman to wave a green flag or a red flag, the signal points should all be working fine so there shouldn't be any accidents tomorrow,

Percy, you're to take Thomas' jobs tomorrow while he get's his paint done" Topham Hat said,

"I wouldn't be too sure about the signals, there's a red moon out tonight" James said

Topham Hat looked up and was very surprised to see the red moon,

"Well I never"

"I told you sir!" James said

"Be that as it may James it didn't put a shoe on the line. Goodnight" Topham Hat said and he left

**Chapter Two**

**More trouble for James**

The next day dawned cloudy and damp, Gordon had to start on James' line so all of his express passengers got very upset when he pulled in three platforms away,

"Oh!" He exclaimed as people had a go at him

"There are railworks on Gordon' line, we'll be switching between James' line and Gordon' today, we'll try to make sure it doesn't take us any longer than it usually does" Gordon' posh and stirn driver told the passengers

At that moment James arrived,

"Oh hurry up Gordon I've got to get these trucks to the scrap" He said

"I'm not you James, I wait for all of my passengers" Gordon said stuffily

James grumbled and pouted,

"It's only for one day James" Topham Hat told him as he passed by

"I can't be the fastest engine on Sodar with all these other trains on my track" James said

"Excuse me but I am the fastest engine on Sodar, I pull the express train, you're track is not designed for grand engines like me"

Much to Gordon' annoyance he had to go slow when on James' branch line so not to topple the carriages.

By 12pm Gordon had James' quick step tune in his head,

"Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow"

This made James giggle, they both decided to make the best of the situation whenever they met and laughing was a much nicer way to spend your time.

"Is your driver taking dancing lessions too?" James asked

"Never, he was born dancing" Gordon said, "He's the best dancer on Sodar, he's going to win first prize at the Waltz and Quick Step fair"

James and Bobby pulled the exact same expression,

"Ooh!" They said

"Problem?" Gordon' driver called

"Us steamies should have a dance too and then we'll see who's the best dancer on Sodor" James called

"What could a steamy do?" Gordon' driver asked

"Are we really discussing this?" Bobby called

"I think we are" Gordon' driver called back

"Well they could waltz, James and Gordon forward, Thomas and Percy back, Percy and Thomas Forward, James and Gordon back" Bobby sang in time to the tune in his head,

"What about Edward and Emily or Toby?" James asked

"I haven't got that far" Bobby said

"Topham Hat will never go for it" The stoker said

"The Sodar Waltz and Quick Step is one of our biggest events on Sodar every fall, it's not too hot and it's not too cold, the engines are the pride of Sodar, they should be part of it" Bobby said

James blushed, and imagined himself a star,

"Express trains don't dance" Gordon said

"They do today" James giggled

When James finally arrived at the srap yard he was scolded for being two hours late. James didn't like being scolded.

"Gordon is on my branch line because the work-men are on his" James said

"Then they should have chosen Emily or Edward, I have 12 trucks of scrap and I need them back here by 5" The scrap yard manager said,

"I can't pull 12 trucks!" James groaned,

"Who's available to help James?" The scrap yard manager asked Bobby

"Uh...Peggy but she's smaller than James" Bobby said

"James can be the back engine then and push Peggy on to take the load off" The scrap yard manager said

"Oh...I hate being a back engine, the trucks tease me!" James pouted

As a nervous Peggy was coupled up at the front and James was being locked in at the back, the trucks teasing him with remarks like "But you've got so much to look forward too" and making songs up about his red face matching his red paint, Gordon had come to a complete stand still. A fence had broken and all the pigs had run out in front of him and now he was covered in mud.

This ammused his passengers, some of whom, got off to take pictures,

"Oh the indignity!" Gordon grumbled

The control man couldn't hear Gordon' driver over the noise so he had to walk up the line with two red flags. James was in too much of a hurry, pushing the trucks and Peggy, poor Peggy went over the flags and screeched on her breaks,

Milly helped and called back to Bobby,

"Bobby! Break! Gordon' stuck!"

James got a shock when Bobby appalied his breaks, the trucks all bumped into one another and then into Peggy, who stopped not an inch from the back Gordon' train,

"Why didn't you stop?" Gordon' driver asked

"It was James, he was going too fast, this track was supposed to be clear, why weren't we switched to the other line?" Milly asked, "We could have had a crash"

"The controller can't hear me over the noise of the pigs" He said

"Pigs?" Milly said climbing down from the cab,

Bobby joined her up at the front and they walked along the side to where the pigs were crowding Gordon,

"Wow" Bobby said, he then noticed a footprint on the broken fence, "Milly, a person broke this fence"

Milly took a look,

"Who'd do that?" She asked

"What's going on up there?!" James called

"Someone has broken the fence James, we're going to have to back up and switch lines, no two ways around it" Milly called

"Bother!" James exclaimed

Milly coupled Peggy up to Gordon' last carriage, the passengers from his express train got back in and Gordon reverse them, the trucks and James all the way back to the scrap yard so they could un couple and switch lines.

The scrap manager couldn't believe his eyes or his ears when Milly told him about the fence,

"You'll never get those trucks back here in time, we close at 6 it's 4:30 already, I'm a day behind now" He said

"What can we do?" Milly said

"I think the quarry need trucks, three of theirs went missing" The scrap manager said

"Missing?" Milly said disbelievingly

The scrapyard manager shrugged

"Milly, the "Red Moon" someone is acting out the whole movie" James said

"Certainly seems that way" Milly said,

It took a while but eventually James arrived at the smelters yard with the trucks and Peggy,

James then took 7 empty trucks to the quarry.

"I only need three trucks" The sight manager said

"The scrap yard is closed until tomorrow" James said

"Then come back in the morning, I'll give you four lots of chalk for the builders at Balladrine, they're restoring a church there" The sight manager said

Bobby agreed, uncoupled all 7 trucks and took James back to Tidmouth sheds.

The following morning Thomas was back, James and Percy were pleased,

"I missed you and my mail train" Percy said

"We've got so much to tell you!" James told him,

"And it's all because of the "Red moon"" Percy said

"What are you talking about?" Thomas said

"Not this again" Gordon groaned

"It's a movie James saw at Halloween Thomas, someone appears been doing things from the film but without anyone seeing, a piece of debris was left on the track, causing your accident, then a shoe was wedged in a piece of track, then signle failed, nearly causing a crash with James and Emily, and yesterday a fence got kicked down so the pigs on the farm walked out onto the track when they realised it was broken and nearly caused a crash with Peggy, James and Gordon. No one seems to know anything...but I don't think the movie has anything to do with it" Milly told Thomas

"That's terrible" Thomas said, "Who'd do something like that? Why?"

"I don't know who yet Thomas but I have a hunch about the why" Milly said

"Really! Tell us!" Edward called

"As you know there's to be a big dance fair next week, classes are packed out, I think someone might be sleepwalking...or sleep-dancing I should say" Milly said, "The shoes on the track and the prints on the sign Bobby told me about or the fence yesterday indicate they work for the railway, I just have to narrow down my search, tomorrow is my day off, I'll be able to keep watch of everything then too" Milly said

At that moment Topham Hat arrived,

"Morning everyone, I have some exciting news for you all, next Saturday all of you are going to make up a display for the opening of our Waltz and Quick Step Fall fair, there's space being made up at Ulfstead Castle where the fair is going to take place, get all your jobs done on time and you can start practicing tonight" He said

The engines were excited...well apart from Gordon,

"The Express doesn't dance" Gordon said

"He does now" Thomas giggled

James was in a good mood as he arrived at quarry for the chalk, he had Edward with him today to help him push the trucks to Balladrine,

"You look happy James" Bill said

"We're learning a dance for the fair on Saturday, steamies never danced before" James said

"How come we don't get to dance at the fair?" Ben asked

"It was my idea!" James gloated

"Was it really James? How splended" Edward smiled

There were workmen on Percy' line so Percy had to switch onto Thomas' branch line, James and Edward were also on this Branch Line. When Percy got to the junction, leading to a siding the signal didn't change but the lights were stuck on red. Percy thought it best to stay where he was until James came speeding around the corner and too late to stop he plowed straight into poor Purcy, the two trains came off the track, the trucks uncoupled from Edward, toppling into a siding so Edward then crashed into James,

"My paint!" James cried

"My buffer!" Percy cried

"My funnel!" Edward cried

"What happened?" Milly called as she turned the corner and stopped

Luckily no one was hurt as Percy' driver had jumped out and Bobby was at the back with Henry and his driver so they were both able to jump out in time, but there was an awful mess to clear up,

"The signals are stuck, I couldn't move Percy into the siding, it was working fine yesterday" The signalman said as he came out of the signal box

"Call Kevin and get the rescue team out here" Milly said

She climbed out of the cab and put red flags across the tracks at both ends of the scene, she then went over to where the track could be switched and there she found shoe.

**Chapter Three**

**Milly Investigates**

The following morning Milly hopped onto Berty the bus and headed to the sight of the first incident, quite to her surprise the shoe that had been stopping the tracks from turning was still on the side. Millie went to the signal box to ask the signalman about it,

"I didn't think it that important Milly" He told her hoestly, "Bad form yes but not...sorry"

"Oh that's alright, it might be of help actually" Milly said and she found a bag to put the shoe in.

Next she took Berty to where the sign Bobby had found on the track had been placed and she placed the shoe up against the print on the sign,

It was the right size but the wrong foot, Milly had a think and followed the track to where James had almost smashed into Gordon the following day. Nothing out of place here but for a cuff from a suit. Milly found this very interesting and she put the cuff in her pocket.

On she went along the track to where the next track had failed, again the shoe at fault had been left on the side. Milly took this and went back to the sign, it wasn't the right size but it was the right foot,

"Curious" Milly said, she took a look at the two boots, "One is a work shoe and the other is a dance shoe"

Milly got back on Berty and took him to the scene of yesterday' crash, nothing out of the ordinary here except another cuff.

Milly then followed the track up to where the track had been obstructed and there was the other shoe,

"I think I'm starting to understand what's going on around here"

But before she could find anyone to tell word came in about another near miss,

Thomas was on one track going towards the docks, Gordon was on the track going away from the docks,

The lights stayed green for both so they started moving but then they had to break when Whiff and Emily sped across,

"Emily!" Gordon cried out

"Whiff! I've already had one accident!" Thomas cried

"Sorry!" They both called, "Signal failed!"

Neither Goron or Thomas wanted to moved now and they waited for Topham Hat to arrive, red in the face,

"What is going on around here? Why am I getting calls to say you two aren't running?" Both Gordon and Thomas spoke at once, "One at at time! Now am I to understand it that you were cut up by Whiff, Thomas and you Gordon, were cut up by Emily?"

"Yes" Gordon said

"Emily said the signal failed to change, our lights failed to change they didn't stop and we nearly went into them" Thomas said

Topham Hat knew a lot of people were going to be very upset but until this mess was cleared up he couldn't run his railway

"All trains suspended due to a fault with lights and signals, other forms of transport are being arranged, we are sorry" Came the voice on the PA system

"What to do?" Topham Hat sighed as people rose their arms up in dispair

"We could use the old carts from the summer fair, there are pleanty of those at Tidmouth and horses, and of course we have Berty but I really think this will calm them and get them all talking" Milly suggested

This worked a treat,

With the railway closed Milly could go to the sheds herself and check out all the work shoes. However there were spairs and every locker had a pair before it,

"I know, I'll ask the morning drivers if they were missing any shoes at any point in the last week" She said to herself,

Milly called a meeting at the shed with all the morning drivers,

"What's this about Milly?" Paul asked

"One of the two shoes that blocked the tracks was a work shoe, a work shoe only us drivers wear at night only you all seem to have yours so I had to ask if any of you had to take a spare" Milly said

"Actually, I did" Bobby said with a hand raised, "A few days ago but it could have been anyone"

"Why only take one shoe?" Paul asked

"We don't know they only took one shoe" Milly said, "They only put one shoe back"

"How could you not realise you're missing a shoe?" Another driver enquired

"Unless they were alseep at the time" Paul said jokingly, Milly pointed and smiled, "Eh?"

"I think someone is sleep-dancing" Milly said

"You mean sleep-walking" Paul said

"I think someone, who wants to do well at the dance but has a lot of other things on his mind can't really switch off at night so their doing their job, minus the train and doing their routine at the same time in their sleeping hours" Milly grinned

"How can we find out, who that is?" Bobby asked

"I have a plan but I'm going to need all the trains in action" Milly said

Milly had to wait three whole days before she could reveal her plan to the trains. There had been no more incidents with the signals or the lights or the turning points so the lines had been reopened. It was sun set and the trains were settiling down in the sheds when Topham Hat and Milly came by,

"Alright guys I need your help" Milly said and she explained everything to them

"Goodness, do we know who it is?" Edward asked

"No we don't so we're all going to go to different areas on the track, James, Bobby has a sore hand so I'm driving you"

"Oh yay! Does that make me the inpsector now?" James asked

"Yes James" Milly said

"Oh boy, Inspector James" He giggled

"Now James don't get giddy, this is serious business, it's caused confusion and delay and we need to get to the bottom of it before the dance" Topham Hat said

"Sorry sir" James said

Quietly as the moon rose into the sky Thomas, James, Percy, Gordon, Emily and Edward made their way along to the parts of track line that had been effected,

"Oh dear" James said suddenly, "This is my branch line Milly, and there's Bobby"

"Shush" Milly told James

"He's asleep" James said

"We can't wake him up, that'd be dangerous. We have to follow him as quietly as possible" Milly said

So that's what they did,

Bobby danced and worked in his sleep in a non existant cab on a non existant train, he even made the tooting sounds. It was all James could do not to giggle out loud.

Then Bobby got a stone in his shoe so he sat on the steps by the signal box and tossed the shoe. Milly jumped down and picked it up she then calmly led Bobby up into James' cab and had James travel as slowly as possable along the track, where they met the others along the way,

"It's bobby" James whispered

"Oh dear" Thomas sighed

"This is my fault, talking him into us doing a show at the fair" James sighed

"He was sleep-dancing before that" Milly said

"I know but...Gordon' going to be cross with me" James said

But Gordon wasn't cross, Gordon was just pleased they'd found the sleep-dancer safe and sound and that as long as someone stayed at his cottage overnight Bobby wouldn't be leaving anymore shoes on the tracks,

James got Bobby back to the sheds and Paul helped Milly get Bobby home,

At his cottage they found all sorts of strange things from coal to a sign post,

"That doesn't account for the lights and the signals" Paul said

"They were down to the work-men but all the work has been completed now" Milly said

"Wait until we tell Bobby about all of this" Paul said

Bobby was so surprised and embarrassed when Paul and Milly told him what he'd been doing every night,

"Do you know, the last time this happened to me I was about to sit for my exams at school" Bobby said, "I guess I took on too much since the wife went on holiday with the children. I was going to impress her and win the solo, the signals and the lights weren't working and that was causing me stress and then the other trains got me thinking, being part of the show would be a great idea but I couldn't think of the right tune or"

"Don't fret, everything will get sorted out" Milly said

"Who brought me home? Who found me?" Bobby asked

"James did" Milly smiled

"I want to do something special just for him?" Bobby said

**Chapter Four**

**The Sodor Dance and James' Surprise**

With Bobby well cared for, the light and signals working and the track back to normal the engines and the other drivers could look forward to the Waltz and Quick Step Fall fair. With Bobby out of action a dance tutor had been hired from the mainland.

At first he thought Topham Hat was joking until Milly sent him videos of each engine telling him why they'd like to be part of the fair.

"We're at the very heart of life on Sodor" Thomas said

"We're by far the prettiest engines to look at, just imagine us if we were dancing how impressive we'll make you look!" James said veinly

"I keep everyone here in touch with people from the mainland and mainland here" Percy said, "I solve mysteries too" He giggled affording him a "Hmph" from James

"You solved one!" James called

"I'm not fussed but the notion did tickle me for a moment" Gordon said grandly

"Dancing sounds like fun" Emily said

"Oh well I like to help out where I can" Edward said

"OK you've convinced me" The dance tutor said, "This would look rather good on my CV"

That very night the tutor came to Sodor and had all six engines plus Toby up at Ulfstead Castle on a special track,

Toby in the middle with Thomas, Percy and Gordon one side, Emily, James and Edward on the other,

"Thomas, Gordon, Emily, Edward forward to the beat, then go back and Percy and James move forward to the beat, Toby forward and back then as he's going back all the trains go forward and repeat"

The tune was a sort of dum, de, de, dum, de, de, dum, de, de, with the tune lowering it's key by one on the 4th dum, de, de

Even Topham Hat, who had not been convinced that this could work was surprised by how beautiful and elegant it all was.

"I can't wait for the people of Sodor to see us" Emily gushed later on in the sheds,

All the engines agreed and though all of the engines were just happy to be taking part in the Waltz and Quick Step Fall fair all of them dreamed of being crowned winners that night.

All accept James that is, he was missing Bobby, Bobby was missing James

"What can I do James?" Milly asked

"Can I call and say goodnight to him Milly?" James asked

"Of course" Milly said

So Milly telephoned Bobby and put him on speaker, James and his driver spent the next two hours talking about the dance and laughing about Red Moon,

"Will you still be dancing on Saturday Bobby?" James asked

"I will James, I can't wait to see your dance" Bobby said

James grinned,

"No one ever saw a train dance before" He said

Milly smiled

Saturday dawned bright and sunny.

The people of Sodor had no idea their favourite trains would be putting on a show, only their drivers and Topham Hat knew and there was great excitement in the air.

Sofie and her friends had been brought in from the mainland to ferry passengers so that the other engines to get to the castle and practice with the other dancers.

The fair started at 1pm and the train' show was first on the list. The people of Sodor were very surprised and delighted by their dance. The paper took photos and film of it and people clapped and cheered for them and their tutor.

As the crowd moved on towards the tent on the grounds where the main dance competition would take place and the stalls selling dresses and shoes and stages for classes for the young and old Bobby came over to see James.

James gushed when he saw Bobby at first because Bobby looked like a warewolf but then he realised it was a costume and laughed,

"I have a surprise for you James, I'm very greatful that you found me and you took me home again while I was sleep walking"

"I was a little scary" James admitted

"That's why" Bobby said, presenting James with a rosette, "I present you with this award for being the bravest engine on Sodor"

James beamed with pride

The next morning all the engines were front page with the tutor with the phrase "Could this be the new craze?" followed by a story about James saving his driver,

For once though James wasn't vein, he was just happy to have his driver back with him and his branch line clear so they could run once again...or waltz

**The End**


End file.
